By Sarah Atherton

MP for Wrexham

This past week has been a week in which Wrexham has been firmly on the map – whether that be thanks to the new Hollywood-inspired sign erected on the Bersham Bank colliery tip, which captured the imagination of many across the town, or thanks to the UK Government Ministers that I welcomed here last week.

In a day of visits across the town, last week saw the Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart MP, join me at Wrexham Lager to meet the team and to hear about their operations. Having visited Wrexham Lager before, I was pleased to be able to welcome the Secretary of State for Wales there and to showcase an iconic Wrexham brand!

Following this, the Secretary of State and I went to HMP Berwyn to meet the Minister for Prisons and Probation, Alex Chalk MP, where we toured the Veterans’ Wing. From previous visits, I am aware of the excellent work taking place on the Veterans’ Wing to support those there and it was great to hear about the new initiatives the Ministry of Justice are putting into place to support those that have served. Whilst visiting, it was also great to discuss UK Government initiatives, such as the Employment Advisory Board – of which I am a member – that are helping to make sure those leaving prison have access to the best opportunities possible for local employment with the aim of reducing reoffending.

The Secretary of State and I then visited Wrexham AFC –– with Will Quince, the Minister for Welfare Delivery within the Department for Work and Pensions to hear about the work the football club is doing as part of the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme. We were also given a tour of the Racecourse and discussed the club’s exciting development plans, which they hope includes a redevelopment of the Kop Stand to accommodate more fans.

To conclude, Minister Quince and I visited the Job Centre in Wrexham to meet with staff, including the Armed Forces Champion, where we heard about the work the Job Centre is doing to support people across Wrexham. I know that, throughout the past year, the team at Wrexham’s Job Centre have done an excellent job of assisting those that have needed it during these tough times, and it was great to meet the team and thank them for all their hard work. Importantly, it was also a pleasure to meet with the Veterans Champion to hear about the work she has been doing supporting our veteran community back into work, here in Wrexham.

Finally, it would be remiss not to also mention the recent major international situation that has unfolded in Afghanistan. I was grateful to be able to return to Parliament last Wednesday to contribute to the debate, during which I spoke on behalf of those who fought for us in Afghanistan, those that fought with us – like the Afghan interpreters and their families – and now need protection, and the women and girls in Afghanistan that we must continue to assist. It was saddening to see the events in Afghanistan unfold, but heartening to know that so many Parliamentarians returned to Westminster to contribute to the debate, showing solidarity with those whose lives will have been affected by the situation.

As always if you are resident in Wrexham and need my assistance with any local or national issue, please make contact with me by emailing sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.